VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Editor's Note: The above video is a previous story on Future Base Design from July 28, 2021.
A plan to lease hundreds of acres of "underutilized land" from NAS Oceana to private development is moving forward, after the Navy and the City of Virginia Beach signed an agreement earlier this month.
Under Oceana's "Future Base Design" plan, up to 1,100 acres could be leased "to private businesses, creating opportunity for both the Navy and the private sector,” said Rear Adm. Chip Rock, Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, in a news release.
Rock added, "That money could then be directed toward much-needed building maintenance and other infrastructure projects on the installation. This partnership is a great example of why the Navy is proud to call Virginia Beach and all of Hampton Roads home."
The Intergovernmental Support Agreement was formally signed on Jan. 6 between the Navy and the City of Virginia Beach Development Authority.
The Navy said Future Base Design is intended to reduce "infrastructure costs, eliminate expenditures, and redirect savings toward its primary warfighting missions of enabling, generating, and increasing naval power."
The hope is it will also give a boost to economic and private business development.
"The Navy is part of the DNA of our community, and helps make Virginia Beach such a desirable place to live, work, and play," said Mayor Bobby Dyer. "Future Base Design presents a great opportunity to strengthen our economy."